News

November 14, 2018Comments Off on St Anne’s school to celebrate Universal Children’s Day

STUDENTS from St Anne’s School in Ennis will mark Universal Children’s Day on Tuesday (November 20) by writing their own special messages on postcards depicting their artwork. Supported by the Clare County Council Arts Office as part of their Embrace for Arts Programme, the pupils of Class 6 worked with artist Shona MacGillivray on mixed media canvases, depicting ducks, rockets, dinosaurs and other imaginative subjects. Their paintings were photographed by John Howard before being printed on to the postcards. The children will write messages to people to advocate, promote and celebrate Universal Children’s Day as well as explore themes and questions around being a child in 2018. Students of St Anne’s will gather at 10.20 am to walk to the post box, which is located beside the school.

November 14, 2018Comments Off on Rural Crime issues to be addresed at Clare IFA meeting

CLARE IFA chairman, Willie Hanrahan, is encouraging farm families to attend the organisations executive meeting tonight (November 14) in Treacy’s West County Hotel at 8.30pm. The meeting will address concerns regarding rural crime in Clare. Guest speakers will include Barry Carey, IFA Rural Crime Prevention Officer, William Shortall IFA Health and Safety Officer and Garda Sergeant Triona O’Rourke, Rural Crime Prevention Officer. Recently addressing the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice and Equality, IFA Deputy President Richard Kennedy called for the establishment of a dedicated Rural Crime Task Force. He highlighted how a similar UK task force has been successful in tackling rural crime. “Over the last year, several serious incidents have occurred on farms. Many farmers and rural dwellers live in real fear for their safety, which is compounded by geographic and service isolation. Theft of valuables from rural homes and of livestock and machinery from farms is also a major concern.” The IFA Deputy President said there is a …

November 14, 2018Comments Off on UL hospital writes to patients on CPE concern

UL Hospitals Group has this week commenced writing to patients in the community to advise them that they shared a ward or clinical area before their discharge with a patient who subsequently had a positive result for CPE, which is an antibiotic resistant organism. Antibiotic resistant organisms are often called superbugs. The word superbug is used to mean bacteria that are hard to kill with antibiotics. CPE is a relatively recent global health problem. A number of different kinds of CPE have been introduced into Ireland and have spread in the healthcare system in recent years. As such, these patients are designated CPE Contacts. A patient who is a CPE contact is so defined because they have shared a ward or clinical area with someone who has been found to be carrying CPE. There is about a one in 20 chance that someone who is designated a contact will become a carrier of CPE. There is about a one in …

November 13, 2018Comments Off on Shannon Group highlight post Brexit connectivity

SHANNON Group, which operates Shannon Airport, is calling on Government to support it in safeguarding EU connectivity for the Mid-West and Western regions in a post Brexit environment. Shannon Airport currently has UK hub connectivity through London Heathrow, which will continue to be hugely important connectivity going forward. But in a Brexit situation, as the UK exits the European Union, the airport will then be without connectivity into an EU hub. Commenting on the issue, Matthew Thomas, CEO, Shannon Group said: “European hub connectivity is vital for our tourism and business customers in the Mid-West, and Western regions. It provides the air access needed to grow tourism numbers, to conduct business and attract FDI investment from Europe and is now more important than ever in the context of Brexit. “While European connectivity is currently serviced through the London Heathrow hub, the reality is that in a post Brexit situation, the West of Ireland will be without this critical EU connectivity. …

November 8, 2018Comments Off on “Bring Shane Ross out of Dublin City Centre and he’d get lost”

FOR almost 50 years Mike Noonan has been coming to The Blacksticks Bar but he can see its the type of bar that might not survive for very much longer. Mike, who doesn’t take a drink himself, is still very critical of the changes to the drink driving laws, introduced by a government minister who he feels has no understanding of rural Ireland. “Bring Shane Ross out of Dublin City Centre and he’d get lost. If you landed him here and turned off the street light he’d panic, he’d be looking for the public transport home.” He adds, “It’s a shame, just because of a man above in Dublin City. If you landed him here, he’d get frightened when he saw the dark, he wouldn’t be used to it. But I suppose it’s in now and it’s there to stay. I honestly don’t think it will save any life.” Mike says there are degrees of drink driving.“If you go into …

The University of Limerick has been named University of the Year 2019 in the Sunday Times Good University Guide. Alastair McCall, Editor of The Sunday Times Good University Guide outlined that the University of the Year status is well deserved and marks its second success in five years in receiving the title. “The University is at the economic heart of this Mid West city and the wider region, attracting brains and resources in equal measure. Its graduates are among the most employable in Ireland, prepared for work by practical courses and a work placement and internship programme second to none, which spans 1,600 employers at home and overseas,” he said. UL’s leading position in graduate employability, its cooperative education and internship programmes, its research in partnership with industry and the opening of the €31million new Glucksman Library were among the many reasons for the award. UL previously claimed the title of Sunday Times Irish University of the Year in 2015. “The University of …

October 26, 2018Comments Off on Suffragette Movement in Ireland ‘Lost in History’

CLARE Fine Gael held an event commemorating the granting of the right to vote to women at the Old Ground Hotel on Monday. Clare was the first constituency in the country to have a 50/50 male/female representation in the Dáil, this was following the election of Síle DeValera and Madeleine Taylor Quinn in 1987, along with Donal Carey and Brendan Daly. However, while there are constituencies nationally who have managed to have equal representation, it hasn’t happened again in Clare since. The event, entitled Vótàil100, after a new committee the party has formed featured guest speaker Maria Bailey TD, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, the 100th female TD to be in the Dáil. Also speaking at the event were former Clare TD Madeline Taylor-Quinn, Councillor Mary Howard, and Rebecca Gregan who stood for national president of Young Fine Gael this past year. The meeting was chaired by equality officer with the Clare Fine Gael executive, Geraldine Gregan. She outlined that the meeting discussed why …

Pieta House has released a short video in conjunction with their new ‘FeelGood Week’ initiative taking place from October 20 to 27. The video, featuring a host of Irish stars, details the various simple ways in which people can come together to feel good all the while raising vital funds for Pieta House. The short promo video stars a host of well-known figures who are keen to help the Irish public to #FindTheFeeling. ‘FeelGood Week’ ambassadors, including rugby heroes Jack McGrath and Hannah Tyrrell, Game of Thrones actor Moe Dunford, chef Derry Clarke, and DJ Nikki Hayes, can be seen pledging their support to the week-long wellness campaign. In the video, Brian Higgins, CEO, Pieta House highlights how important the continued support of the public through initiatives like ‘FeelGood Week’ truly is. “In 2016 almost 4,000 people came to us at the point of suicide. In 2017, that number rose to 7,500. So now we need your help more than ever,” he …